Briana: Before we start, a quick content note: My alumni guest in this episode is Katie Shipp, class of 2009. Katie has spent her career advocating for survivors of sexual assault and working in the fields of sexual assault prevention and education. The nature of her work means that our conversation will refer to this topic, and to the experiences of survivors. Nothing we say is explicit, but it may be difficult for some listeners.

Hello, and welcome to Gators on Purpose, where we talk with Allegheny College alumni who show us the power of combining what you love with what challenges you. At Allegheny College, being a Gator on purpose means shaping your own extraordinary path, and those unusual combinations lead to extraordinary outcomes -- meaningful careers, and lives built on purpose. I'm Briana Lewis, Associate Professor of French and Faculty Liaison to the Center for Career and Professional Development, and I'm talking today with Katie Shipp, Allegheny College class of 2009. Katie is currently Executive Director at I Have the Right To, an organization dedicated to sexual assault prevention and education. She received a 2023 Young Alumni citation from Allegheny, and was recently named a 2025 40 Under 40 Honoree by Pittsburgh Magazine. Katie Shipp, welcome back (virtually) to Allegheny and thank you for joining us for Gators on Purpose.

Katie Shipp: Thank you so much for having me.

Briana: So, first to start our conversation, I'd like to ask you to think back to when you were making your college decision. What drew you to Allegheny?

Katie Shipp: Honestly, I think I fell in love with the campus. I can't remember particular programs, specifically, that I was interested in. I ended up changing my major my second year anyway. But I remember just really loving the campus. I really liked the Meadville community and just something about it, just, I felt drawn to it. I liked the idea of smaller classrooms where you can actually get to know your professors, that was something that was really important to me. I also really loved that there weren't a lot of prereqs, so that you had the opportunity to really explore what you were interested in, which really helped me because I ended up, I went in premed and then changed to planning on going to law school. So, it was really nice for me to get to explore, and I got to have a really interesting minor that I didn't necessarily plan on doing anything with, but just interested me. So I thought that was really cool about Allegheny as well.

Briana: What ultimately were your major and minor while you were here?

Katie Shipp: I majored in psychology and minored in religious studies, and absolutely loved it. I actually got to go to Turkey with one of my religious studies professors the year before my senior year and it was really cool. The professor that was with my religious studies professor -- I went with Professor Boynton, but Ron Cole, who's now the President of Allegheny, was actually on that trip, too. So, I got to know him, and -- I think he was Geology, right?

Briana: Yep!

Katie Shipp: And even got to learn about some geology while in Turkey. So, that was pretty cool.

Briana: Isn't that cool? And so why did you choose that major/minor combination? You said that you kind of pivoted from premed to pre-law. And so why the combination of psychology and religious studies?

Katie Shipp: I had wanted to go for psychiatry, specifically child psychiatry. That was my interest. I always knew that I wanted to work with kids or on issues affecting kids. And to be quite honest, I started taking some chem classes and thought, "Oh, this is not for me." So that's why -- and I stayed with psychology because, you know, that's still what I was interested in, and honestly, I feel like I still use it a lot to this day. And then religious studies, honestly I took a class, it was religious responses to evil -- I don't remember exactly the name of the course -- but it was super interesting. It was with Professor Eric Boynton. Everybody had different backgrounds and everybody had different beliefs and were just contributing to the conversation and it was one of the most interesting conversations I had had up to that point. And I thought it was really cool that people from so many different backgrounds and beliefs could have the conversation in a really respectful way and I learned so much from it and that's why I stayed with it.

Briana: Yeah. Well, that's great, and I think it's great that you pursued that, that you found something interesting and you didn't say “oh, but it's not practical, oh, but it's not goal-oriented.” You said, “no, this is interesting and I want to learn about this,” so you did. And so tell me about the -- outside the classroom, tell me about the other kinds of things you were involved in while you were here: co-curricular activities, clubs, things like that.

Katie Shipp: So, my second year at Allegheny, I found Bonner. And applying for Bonner, I think, was one of the most meaningful and significant decisions I made during college, and honestly, has impacted every part of my life since leaving Allegheny. So I had been involved in a lot of community service when I was younger. My sister had cystic fibrosis and so I was very involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and volunteering and organizing events. And when I went to college I was missing that a bit. And so, Bonners are students at Allegheny, and you're paired with a local organization, and you do x amount of service hours. And it's a really great way to serve the Meadville community, which is such a special community. And it allowed me to really build a family on campus of students and professors, etc. who were really motivated by the same values.

Briana: It strikes me that one of the first things you said, you were drawn to the campus, but then also to the Meadville community. So, it's really great that you got to be involved with the community in such an intensive way through that program. So, after graduation then your first role was as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

Katie Shipp: Yeah. So, when I was in my senior year at Allegheny, I was studying for the LSAT and I told my family that I thought I wanted to take a year off and do a year of service. And I remember -- I wanted to say this because I often tell young people this -- my family was not supportive. They thought, “You should go right to law school. If you don't go right to law school, you're never going to do it.” And I really felt like I either wanted to do the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. So I did a year of service through AmeriCorps and I was paired with the Children’s Law Center in Massachusetts. So, I worked on juvenile delinquency cases as well as special education cases and did know-your-rights trainings for local organizations and I absolutely loved it. I think it was the best decision I could have made before going to law school because by the time I went to law school, I was certain that that's what I wanted to do. And I was really focused. I didn't have any family that were lawyers. I didn't have any experience with the legal profession, and so I think that was helpful. And then when I did apply to law school, I was able to get the public interest scholarship, and I think that had a lot to do with Bonner at Allegheny and then also doing that AmeriCorps VISTA. I'll never forget, on my acceptance to Pitt Law School, they said, "We love Allegheny students here." It was written in handwriting at the bottom, which was pretty cool.

Briana: Yeah. And so you were with AmeriCorps for a year, and then the next step was Pitt Law School?

Katie Shipp: Yes. Yeah. So, I did law school at Pitt, and when I was there, I interned at KidsVoice, which is the local organization that represents children in foster care. So, I did that for two years -- or not two years, sorry, two semesters. And then I started, during my third year, working with a firm based in New York that represents survivors of childhood sexual abuse. And so that was what I did towards the end of law school and eventually went on to work at that firm after graduation.

Briana: Okay. So when you finished law school and began practicing law, this was also in the area of advocating for children.

Katie Shipp: Yes. Yeah. Exactly. So I represented um survivors of childhood sexual abuse including online exploitation, so images and videos that found their way online that never should have been online. So I represented survivors in criminal cases helping them to get restitution and then also civil cases against perpetrators or the institutions that enabled the perpetrators. And did that for about 11 years. I also did Title IX campus rape cases. Yeah, so I did that for a little over a decade.

Briana: Yeah. And, what was that like? Both in kind of the day-to-day of it and then sort of the experience of how you felt about doing the work.

Katie Shipp: I always say that I had the best clients. I also really think that it's important to hold perpetrators and institutions that sort of enabled that abuse, hold them accountable, and that, I think, is what can cause real change that is needed. But during that 11 years, I became connected to so many of my clients. I’m licensed in both Pennsylvania and in New York, and in New York when I was practicing, there was a statute of limitations change. So -- I think it was 21, was the statute of limitations. So if you hadn't brought a case forward by the time you were 21 you lost your ability to do so. But the average age of disclosure for childhood sexual abuse is 52.

Briana: Oh, my gosh.

Katie Shipp: So many, many, most people, you know, never really have that opportunity to pursue justice in the court system. And in New York, they opened up the statute of limitations. They moved it to I think it's age 52, but when they did it, they also opened a window, which allowed anybody, any age, to come forward for two years. And so it was the first time in my career, where it wasn't just young people that I was representing, it was also older people. And for the first time, I had just as many male clients as female clients and maybe at times even more male clients, because they were, you know, coming forward in their 60s, 70s and 80s. I would have cases where I was the first person they told. And so I think having the community service background that I did, having the experience with Bonner and just really working with people, I really think it helped me, when talking to my clients and just being able to be a safe space for them. So it was incredibly meaningful to have survivors trust me and to advocate for them. You know, it takes a lot for somebody to share what my clients shared with me and I think that they're all incredibly brave and heroic and have contributed so much to a culture that is changing slowly but surely. You know, we will get there. But I got to a point where I had two small kids. I have a son and a daughter. And that's when it became a bit tougher for me, because I was having children that had to exist in a world where I knew really awful things could happen. And so I really started to think about how I could maybe change what I was doing to feel like I was being more proactive than reactive. And an organization that I had gotten to know because they had referred some cases to me of survivors that they were close with were looking for an executive director and it was really perfect timing for me. So the nonprofit I Have the Right To asked me to step into that role and it was the perfect next step for me. And that's where I'm at now.

Briana: So you made this shift from practicing law to serving as Executive Director of I Have the Right To. So, I'd like to start by having you tell us a little bit about that organization: what they do, what their mission is, what it is that I Have the Right To is contributing to this area.

Katie Shipp: Absolutely. I am so proud to be a part of this organization and really happy to share about it. So I Have the Right To was founded by Chessy Prout. Chessy is a survivor. She was 15 years old when she was raped at her high school. When she went forward and told the school about what happened, instead of being met with support, she was encouraged to stay quiet, and when she wouldn't do so, she was basically pushed out of the school. She pursued a criminal case against the perpetrator and he was found responsible. And through that criminal case, she learned about the history of sexual abuse at the school that she was at, and decided to pursue a civil case against her high school as well. During that civil trial, the attorneys for the school were intimidating her and threatening to reveal her identity. Because when you're a minor or when you are a survivor of sexual assault, it's very common to file a case under a Jane Doe. So Chessy's identity was not public. And so she was 15 years old, filed as a Jane Doe, and kept being threatened or intimidated with the possibility that her name would be shared. And Chessy said, "I'm not going to be intimidated. I've had enough." And she actually came forward on the Today Show. And said, "I'm Chessy Prout. I am the survivor in the St. Paul's rape case." And when she did that, she didn't just want to come forward, but she wanted to give something to the community and to other survivors out there who maybe didn't have the support. Chessy and her two sisters along with their mom had decided that it was about time for a girls’ bill of rights. And so Chessy's mom, Susan, said, "Okay, girls, let's sit down and write the things that you have the right to." And so Chessy shared that and she shared the hashtag, #IHavetheRightTo. And it went viral. And shortly after she wrote her memoir, I Have the Right To, and founded this organization with her parents. And since then, we've grown tremendously. We now provide programming to schools. We are in preschools all the way up to colleges and universities. And we are nationwide. We provide programming on consent, healthy relationships, digital safety, upstanding, and much more. We also have a really robust program specifically on what we call aspirational masculinity, bringing boys and men into the conversation that has been really successful and is one of our most requested workshops. We work with a retired NFL player, a retired NHL player. We also have a robust internship program for high school students and college students. And I'm proud to say that we have just as many male interns as female, which is unique in this space. Usually girls and women are the ones sort of carrying this cause and at I Have the Right To we're really proud to have boys and men and all genders helping us and being part of the movement. And we also have our own podcast, the I Have the Right To Aspire podcast where we talk with advocates and authors and survivors and people who are in this space and there's a track within that podcast called “Real Men, Real Conversations” specifically about mental health and vulnerability and joining this cause.

Briana: Yeah, that's wonderful. And we can be sure to link to that podcast and to your organization in our show notes.

Katie Shipp: That would be great, thanks.

Briana: So, for you personally, what is your sense of contribution in this work?

Katie Shipp: When I was at the firm that I was at, I was there for 11 years, worked my way up to partner, and I had represented hundreds and hundreds of survivors. And the thing that I kept coming back to was the need for education. Sexual abuse is often silenced, after it happens, but really even before it happens. It's things that we don't talk about, that are taboo, which allows this problem and these people to exist in the shadows. And I really kept coming back to education shining a light so there are less shadows to hide in. Had there been education for young people, but not just young people, but parents and educators as well, maybe the abuse could have been prevented. But maybe if it wasn't prevented, maybe it wouldn't have lasted so long, maybe the kids would have had the courage to speak up. And some of them did speak up and weren't listened to, so maybe in those situations, the adults in the room would have known to listen. And then also after the fact, that if we could build empathy and understanding, how much more support survivors would be met with. And even after, people who took decades and decades to share, maybe they would have felt safer to share if our understanding and support as a community was stronger. And so to me, that's my hope, is to make it a safer world, specifically for my children, but wider, for all. And, honestly, I think young people get it better than adults sometimes. They're more open to these ideas. And they're really incredible, I get to work with young people who are already making such a difference. I want to believe in a better future for survivors, where abuse happens less, but then when it does happen, they're met with a community supporting them. And so that is my goal. I think it also always goes back to community, like I talked about Bonner being my community at Allegheny, I have that shared goal, like Chessy had, the hope of building a community, when she came out on the Today Show and when she founded I Have the Right To. I think it's part of that as well, is building that community.

Briana: Yeah. What kinds of experiences -- whether it's at Allegheny or elsewhere in your experience -- what kinds of experiences prepared you for the work that you're doing in your day-to-day now?

Katie Shipp: Internships, service. I always say, I can teach you what to do at work but I can't make you have the passion for it. And so I really think that it's important to get hands-on experiences. You know, the books are important. It's important to study. It's important to do good in your classes but have real-world experience, whether it's internships or volunteering or jobs. You know, like in law school, there's people who have straight A's, but they don't know how to interact with a client, right? And that's something I had at Allegheny, and that was something that I was very intentional about in law school, was making sure I was getting internships and getting experiences. You're actually not allowed to work your first year of law school. So finding other ways to volunteer and just-- It also helps you to figure out what you like and what you don't like too.

Briana: Right Yeah. No, it's really important, I think, for students to -- and difficult I think sometimes at the beginning -- for students to sort of know themselves as an employee, as a professional. Even in an interview, an employer will ask, tell me this or that about yourself. And you need to know the answer. And it can be difficult to know those answers if you haven't got a little bit of -- even just something as simple as that, to know how to tell them about yourself as a professional, you need the experience to do that.

Katie Shipp: And the confidence too. I remember when I first, you know-- I was in high school and I was volunteering. My sister worked at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and I had volunteered there with her and she gave me a list of people to call to ask for donations. And I looked at her and I was like, “Tammy, I can't call these people, I'm 16 years old! You want me to call them and ask them for money?” And she was like, “Yeah, go do it.” And I was so nervous, but then I did it, and then I was like “Oh wow, I can do that.” And so I think just building up your own confidence, so that later, you can sell yourself in an interview, you have confidence to sit in the room where it feels maybe a bit intimidating. I was at the Children's Law Center, and I walked into the room of one of the female attorneys that I really admired and I opened the door and I said, "Oh, sorry. Do you have a minute?" And she said, "Katie, stop apologizing. You know, women and girls have been apologizing for way too long. You do not need to apologize for taking up space." And she said it in such a way that it really struck me, and it still sits with me to this day and I share now with young people that I work with. But it made me stand a little bit taller, and made me have a bit more confidence. And so when you're, you know, when you put yourself out there, there's a lot you can learn from people, too.

Briana: Yeah. And that is a great segue to the final question that I have for you today, which is: what advice would you give to a current or a future Allegheny student who is hoping to build a successful life of meaning and purpose?

Katie Shipp: I would say be very intentional with the people that you surround yourself with. Pick a community that is going to inspire you, support you, and challenge you. I am lucky to have really special people in my life that have been there for me in really great times, but also in hard times. And it's great to have people to remind you who you are and what you can do and to make you feel less alone when the world can feel really big and scary. So I think community would be one of the biggest things. I also think I've been really lucky to do something that I really believe in. There's that one quote and I'm probably going to mess it up, but it's something like find the intersection of what you're good at and what you're passionate about and do that as your job. And I've luckily been able to do that. And you know, reach out to people and network and connect and don't just follow the same path everybody else is following. When I was in law school, I was sitting in these interviews with these big law firms and they were saying like, "Why do you want to come work with us?" And all I could think in my head was, "I don't. I don't want to come work with you, but I also have, you know, some loans that I have to pay off and that's scary and so maybe I should interview and I should try for this because this is what everybody else wants and I have the opportunity to be in this room for this interview." And then I left the interview and I thought, “Gosh that's not why I went to law school at all. Like, why am I doing this?” And then I had reached out to the firm that I ended up working at for over 11 years and it was a tiny firm. And the reason why I reached out is because I followed a blog that they had -- and I thought “The chances that I'm going to get a job here are pretty slim.” But if I would have never taken that chance and I would have never sent that email or I just felt like I had to follow what everybody was telling me I should do, then I wouldn't have been able to build this career that I really believe in. And then, just because you're doing one thing now doesn't mean that that has to be what you do forever. You can change multiple times in your life what you're doing. Be brave about your life and what you want to do, and just go for it.

Briana: Yeah, I love that. Well, Katie Shipp, it has been wonderful to talk to you today. Thank you again for the conversation.

Katie Shipp: Thank you. It was lovely chatting with you.

Briana: I'd also like to thank all the members of the Allegheny community who helped make Gators on Purpose possible, including members of our Alumni Engagement and Marketing and Communications teams. Our Digital Humanities Librarian, Andrew Miller, provides technical support for our recordings. Our music was composed by Dominic Juliana, Allegheny, class of 2026, under the mentorship of Professor Michael Dolan, and was performed by piano instructor Wendy Plyler. Editing and mixing are done by me, your host, Briana Lewis. From campus to career, every Gator has a story that's uniquely their own. Stories of curiosity and unusual combinations of interests fueled by creativity and a supportive community. These stories remind us that Allegheny College doesn't just prepare you for a job. It prepares you for a life lived on purpose.